- Thousands of university students are victims to scams each year
- Law firm releases example of fake scam email
- AI expected to make problem worse
- Some students forced to quit education
Students about to start university are being urgently warned of the dangers of scammers trying to steal their finance loans.
Every year thousands of UK students are scammed out of money by fraudsters who trick victims into sending them their maintenance and finance loans.
National Fraud Helpline solicitors has issued five top tips for students to help them avoid falling victim to these financial scams.
The fraud recovery law firm has also released a copy of a scam email to show how convincing the frauds can be. This particular email was sent to hundreds of Manchester Metropolitan University students demanding that they transfer outstanding tuition fees to what was, in fact, a fraudster’s bank account. 
The fake email told the student that if the debt was not settled in time then a file would be passed to their ‘litigation department’.
Fiona Bresnen, a lawyer at National Fraud Helpline solicitors, said: ‘Scammers are aware that students will be receiving large amounts of money in the form of maintenance and tuition fee loans which makes them an attractive target.
‘One of the problems for new students, in particular, is that every process is new to them so it’s especially difficult to spot a scam.
‘We are issuing an urgent warning to students in the hope it will prevent them being scammed.
‘The Manchester Metropolitan University tuition fee scam is a good example of how convincing the documentation can be. With the relatively recent advance of generative AI this problem is, sadly, only going to get worse.
‘Students scams can be particularly devastating. We’ve heard of students having to take on two or three jobs to cover the losses and some have been left with no choice but to drop out of university altogether.’
The five top tips for students to avoid finance loan scams are:
- Check the sender’s email or phone number. Official organisations use specific domains in their emails which can be checked against their website.
- Never Share Sensitive Info Upfront: Legitimate student finance bodies won’t ask for bank details, passwords, or PINs via email, text, or unsolicited calls.
- Look Out For Phishing Messages: Look out for poor grammar, generic greetings, or suspicious links in emails/texts. Hover over links but do not click on them to check the URL.
- Get advice. If you are unsure check with family member of friends or contact your university’s finance or welfare team for advice before acting.
- Don’t be rushed. Fraudsters commonly try to panic victims into sending money. If you are being pressured it may be a sign that it is a scam.
Find out more about: Common Student Scams And How To Avoid Them.
Are you a university student who has been scammed? Contact National Fraud Helpline. Call 0333 0033218 or fill out our Claim Form.
